Cattlemen considering a move to later calving may want to also consider taking a look at their cowherd vaccination program.

Researchers are continuing to focus on Clostridium perfringens Type A, an emerging pathogen often associated with severe calf disease such as abomasitis, which can result in fatality rates from 5% to 50%.

“It’s a multifactorial disease,” says David Van Metre of Colorado State University’s College of Veterinary Sciences. “No one has found the complete set of factors that cause it.”

While the pathogen is more common in bottle-fed dairy calves, it can be a problem in beef calves, according to Larry Hollis, Kansas State University Extension beef veterinarian. “One scenario where it might be a problem in beef calves is when calving is delayed into the spring months such as April-May,” he says. “If the grass greens up and the cows start milking heavily while the calves are still small, the calves may engorge on milk and experience a problem.”

Van Metre recommends focusing prevention measures on enhancing immunity and using feeding practices that inhibit proliferation in the gut. He recommends:

• Using good colostrum and milk/milk replacer hygiene.
  
• Avoid feeding long-stem forage too early.
  
• Whenever possible during severe weather, encourage calves and dams to stand up to limit milk engorgement by the calf after the weather passes.
  
• Make sure animals have adequate copper and selenium status.